BBQ History

Brisket may dominate barbecue menus in Texas today, but nearly a century ago, a Dallas institution built its mighty restaurant empire on a simple Tennessee-style barbecued-pork sandwich: the “Pig Sandwich.” Perhaps some already know that I’m referring to the signature item served at the Pig Stand, a Dallas-based chain that formed in the twenties and quickly grew into a nationwide franchise. And when I say quickly, that’s no exaggeration. According to an advertisement from 1924— when the…

Later today, after the inauguration of Greg Abbott as the forty-eighth governor of Texas, 17,000 hungry ticket holders clamoring for food will line up for lunch on the Capitol grounds in Austin. Forty-five minutes later, they’ll all have a full plate of barbecue. At least that’s what mega-caterer Eddie Deen has promised the governor-elect. And Deen will likely make good on this pledge. Because he’s old hat at serving big crowds. More specifically, big crowds gathered…

Conventional wisdom holds that traditional Texas barbecue doesn’t need to be sauced. That Texans have an aversion to the stuff. Case in point? A recent primer on national barbecue styles in America on Eater noted that “while the rest of the nation is busy making barbecue sauces, many places in Texas eschew it completely.” This theory is fortified by the fact that one of the most famous joints in the state, Kreuz Market, doesn’t even offer sauce. Not…

The popularity of Texas barbecue—and specifically Texas-style smoked brisket—has launched a frenzy of new activity. New joints pop up all the time, and relatively new pitmasters are hailed as masters of craft. Many of these places and people are deserving of considerable attention and high praise, but we shouldn’t lose sight of what came before. Let’s not forget the historic barbecue joints that built the foundation of Texas barbecue many decades ago. The places that began operating a…

Sixty-six years ago on January 29, 1948, rush hour in downtown Austin was given a jolt by an explosion. A small barbecue joint called the West Sixth Street Barbecue & Market was left in shambles. The news was reported as far away as Sweetwater where the snippet in the February 1, 1948 edition of the Sweetwater Reporter read: “BARBECUE BLAST INJURES EIGHT – Rescue workers struggle with an explosion-wrecked barbecue stand in Austin, Texas, in…